Failure's Consequence
by EmeraldEyedJedi
Summary: Dark RotJ-AU.  Different actions and reactions could plunge the galaxy in further darkness.  No flowers and rainbows here.  Complete.
1. Chapter 1: Confrontation

Summary: Different actions and reactions could plunge the galaxy into further darkness.

* * *

><p>Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, obviously.<p>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: Confrontation<span>

She knew he was coming; she could feel it, a steadily-growing brightness and cleanness, slicing straight through to her senses through the grime surrounding her. She slipped out of the bustling throne room unnoticed and hurried to the hall. Checking her surroundings, she ducked into a dim, quiet corner to wait.

As the large metal door loudly groaned in protest as it slid open, Luke Skywalker inhaled another cleansing, calming breath. He was a Jedi now; why was he so afraid? Perhaps it was because so many people were counting on him to execute his plan properly. Maybe it was because his friends has willingly gone into this danger, trusting him completely.

Or maybe it was because in less than four years, he had seen more death, felt more pain and destruction, and experienced more conflicting emotions than any being usually would in their lifetime. He felt the weight of the galaxy on his shoulders.

Regardless of why he had this fear, he had to let go and focus on the task at hand. Leia, Chewie, Lando, and even the droids were depending on him to get all of them out alive.

His senses fully sharpened, Luke entered the dimly-lit hall. Two dirty Gammorean guards approached him, exuding menace, but Luke simply lifted his hand and they fell back against the walls, clawing at their throats, trying to breathe. He pushed the idea into their minds that it would be best to leave him be. They stayed their distance.

Luke cautiously made his way towards Jabba's throne room. It was still quiet, but he could hear the many noises coming from the cavernous room - music, voices in many languages, fighting, the Hutt's disgusting laughter. Then a slight hum joined the din, and Luke whirled as his danger sense flared. His right hand came up in a blocking gesture, and something clattered to the ground. A vibroblade.

A figure moved the shadows, still shrouded, and Luke strained to see the features of his assailant in the low light. The being let out a small huff and Luke noticed the female tone.

"Well, well, the legendary Rebel Skywalker saves his skin once again," the voice said. She took a step forward, where the subdued light revealed her features.

The fallen vibroblade lay silent on the floor next to her bare feet. She was dressed in an inexpensive, revealing dancer's outfit; gold-red hair framed her face in loose waves, contrasting her emerald-green eyes and soft skin tone. Luke rested his gaze on her face, and she drew her mouth into a thin line.

"Who are you?" Luke asked unabashedly. An evanescent thought flitted through his mind that he could most likely Force-manipulate his way past this young woman.

As if in response to his thoughts, her gaze hardened. "Me, weak-minded? Not so fast, Skywalker."

Luke's face showed no surprise, but it was emitted through the Force. How had she known what he was thinking?

"I'm not going to put up with this kriff," she said, suddenly angry. "I have a job to do and will not fail."

Luke snapped out of his bewilderment as the woman produced another vibroblade, seemingly out of nowhere. He took a diminutive step backwards as it hummed to life.

"I would say that I'm sorry it has to be this way," she continued, "but that would be a lie. I _am_ sorry for your friends, however, that they're destined to a life in this place."

On the last word, she dove at him with surprising speed. Luke hardly had a moment to grab ahold of her forearms. The vibroblade was mere inches from his chest. She looked up at him, frustration obvious in her eyes and tense muscles.

"Now hold on one moment," Luke said, not loosening his grip any. "What is going on here? You're no bounty hunter."

She didn't reply, but stared at him in contempt.

"Come on; out with it. I don't want to start anything here."

"Make me."

Luke physically pushed her up against the wall and with a simple thought, the second vibroblade fell to the ground. The young woman feigned surprise.

"Oh, master Jedi, please have mercy," she said contemptuously. Her sardonic expression vanished, however, when she felt her airway suddenly being blocked. Her eyes widened slightly as she tried to retain control.

"I suggest you tell me," Luke said with an edge in his voice. "I know that I have many enemies, but why you're doing this is beyond me."

"Let...me...breathe," she managed to gasp. Luke released his mental grip on her throat. Suddenly, she lunged forward, and Luke found himself thrown up against the opposite wall. He looked up to see a nasty-looking blaster trained on him.

"Don't move," she commanded. There was no emotion in her voice. Her finger tensed on the trigger, but just before she pulled back, there was a stirring in the hall and a tall, dark-skinned guard appeared.

"Arica? What are you doing out here? Jabba demands your presence now."

The young woman - Arica, supposedly - snarled before marginally turning her head. A blaster pointed at another being wasn't a rare thing in this place, so she didn't bother to hide it.

"Come on," the guard said with an odd accent. He gestured with his weapon. She slowly lowered her blaster arm and without giving the Jedi another glance, turned on her heel and disappeared into the throne room.

Luke stood up and the guard walked over. Luke recognized the face - it was Lando.

"Thanks, Lando," Luke said, looking at the doorway the young woman had left through.

"Um, you're welcome," Lando replied. "We, uh, need to get moving though, before trouble starts. More trouble, I mean."

Luke hardly heard Lando; he was feeling for the young woman, Arica, to see if she was near. He couldn't find her.

And now he was distracted.

_Just focus, Luke_, he told himself. _They're counting on you._


	2. Chapter 2: Rumination

Chapter 2: Rumination

Mara was worried. Her master hadn't called for an audience with her after she returned last week from her failed mission, and then had left Coruscant in a hurry. She hadn't felt any emotions from him but disappointment. Sithspawn, why had she failed? She had trained her weapon on him three times and had almost killed him, but didn't. She had no excuse. What had possessed her? Why didn't she just pull the trigger?

Because she couldn't. For the first time in her life, she didn't _want_ to kill. She realized that now, as she replayed the events in her mind. In her mind's eye, she looked like a droid - doing what she was programmed to do, no more and no less.

_Maybe I'm more weak-minded than I thought,_ she mused wryly. _Probably something the damned Jedi shoved in my head to save his neck._

But even though she regretted her failure, she was thankful for it - she had the feeling she would have regretted the kill even more. She was suddenly just plain tired of killing.

Mara knew she was going to be punished horribly. She cringed, just thinking of it. And all she had to do currently was sit in her quarters. No new mission to prepare for. No training appointments to be met. No distractions whatsoever. She felt like a child, waiting for her father to return home to execute discipline. The Palace was far too quiet.

Mara laid down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how she would explain the whole ordeal to her master. Maybe, if she could keep the real reason hidden, he wouldn't -

"Who are you kidding?" she said aloud, interrupting herself. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

It was impossible to keep anything from the Emperor.

But wasn't it worth a try?

_Stop it,_ Mara thought. _Insubordination has been the death of many._

Mara was jolted from her thoughts as she felt Palpatine's brush on her mind. She quickly slammed up all emotional shields before opening contact.

'_Yes, Master?'_

'_Hand, I need you to come as quickly as you can. I am on the Death Star.'_

'_Yes, my Master.'_

He broke off contact and Mara breathed a sigh of relief as his presence left her mind. Then she shook her head. What was coming over her?

As she prepared to leave the planet, she suddenly realized how fearful she was. Fearful of her master; fearful of her unexplained actions, or lack thereof; fearful of _herself._ It was an emotion she'd never experienced before, and she didn't like it.

There was only one thing for certain: it was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>"Arrogant, you were. Too controlled by your emotions. Careful, you must be…"<p>

Master Yoda's words aroused Luke from his light sleep aboard his X-wing. He was en route from Dagobah to _Home One_, where the Rebels were meeting for the briefing on the newest developments. Luke hadn't gone straight there from Tatooine, for he had some unfinished business with his second master. Now, in the loneliness of the cramped cockpit, he sincerely wished he had listened to Obi-Wan and had not run off to help Han and Leia. He had traded a whole year's worth of training with the legendary Jedi for what? The hardest emotional battle he had _ever_ faced - discovering Vader was his father.

And obviously, he admitted to himself with a sigh, he needed the training. He wasn't ready, but now it was too late.

Luke's drifting thoughts kept returning to his confrontation with the girl Arica in Jabba's Palace. Yes, she had attacked him, but his retaliation was most un-Jedi-like. Yoda had told him that much.

But what his late master didn't know was how much control it took Luke to simply be content with a telekinetic choke. He had really wanted to break her neck.

And it scared him. He _knew_ better than that. He was supposed to be the one to pass down this knowledge, to raise up a new generation of light-siders. And here he was, acting like a...son of a Sith.

"Artoo, what's gotten into me?" he asked aloud, for the sake of getting it out of his head. The droid warbled a response, and Luke could only imagine the droid shrug. Luke sighed.

He had a long day ahead of him.


	3. Chapter 3: Manipulation

**A/N:** I'm not going to take credit for it; there are brilliant lines in here, taken from the RotJ film.

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: Manipulation<span>

Luke kept his gaze evenly on the Emperor as he ordered the guards to leave the throne room. This man - if he could be called that - truly was full of himself. Perhaps the overconfidence could be used to Luke's advantage.

But he still wasn't counting on getting out alive.

Luke looked on as Vader handed Palpatine the his lightsaber. A look of amusement crossed the Emperor's face as he ran his hands over the intricate weapon, examining it. Luke's stomach churned in repulsion.

"Quite impressive. Very knowledgeably constructed, considering your teacher."

Luke glared lasers at the Emperor's back as he returned to his seat on the throne.

"It's a shame you won't be able to use it to help your friends up there on the Sanctuary Moon."

Luke couldn't keep himself from straightening at that statement. If he knew of that, then he must know of -

"The coming Rebel fleet? Of course I do, my boy. You'll learn in time that the dark side of the Force reveals many things to one who is willing to use it."

Luke did his best to keep his composure, but his distress rang through the Force.

"You are surprised by this? It was I who allowed the Alliance to know of my arrival here and the location of the shield generator. We are more than prepared for the coming, pitiful attacks by your friends. Let me assure you that we are quite safe here."

Luke bit back an angry retort, resulting in a wary glance from his father.

"Soon, you will see," the Emperor went on. "Everything that has transpired has done so according to my design."

Palpatine rose from his seat and slowly made his way toward Luke again.

"You will soon have no choice but to bow to me and give yourself over to the dark side."

Closing his eyes, he muttered,

"I can feel it. You are warring within yourself. Surrender."

"Never," Luke whispered with as much conviction and defiance as he could muster. His head was suddenly swimming. Was this one of the old man's tricks?

"Ah, but you have already felt the power of the dark side, have you not?"

Luke blanched. How could he win against this? What a fool he was, thinking he could swoop in, redeem his father, and destroy this monster standing before him. He was angry with himself.

The Emperor laughed, feeling Luke's swirling emotions.

"It is unavoidable, you must realize. With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant. You, like your father, are now _mine."_

* * *

><p>Mara hurried through the corridors of the Death Star, not paying any attention to its impressive brilliance. If she was to get away with hiding her suddenly changing feelings towards her master, she would still need to appear loyal as ever, complying with his demands - all the way down to his command to hurry.<p>

Mara sighed internally again. For all her decisions she had made on the way here, she still had her doubts. My, how she had changed in the past few hours. The old Mara Jade would have never entertained these sort of thoughts, not to mention the self-doubt.

_And the new Mara?_ her old cynicism asked. She clamped down on the voice.

Approaching the lift to the throne room, she took a steadying deep breath. She was either walking into her freedom, or her destruction. The proverbial bad feeling twisted her stomach in a knot.

She entered the room and was suddenly flooded by feelings through the Force - hope, despair, sadness, joy, but more prevalent, anger and fear.

And they were coming from him. The one she had been ordered to kill on Tatooine.

"Ah, you've arrived, my child," the Emperor said from up on his throne. "Come here."

She carefully walked towards him, noting that Skywalker hadn't turned when she'd entered. He was standing near one of the viewports, staring.

She felt both Vader's and her master's eyes on her as she bowed at the foot of the stairs.

"Rise, my Hand," he told her. She stood, and the Emperor turned. "Come here, Jedi."

Mara noticed with mild surprise that he wasn't wearing binders. If he wasn't so dangerous, why had she been sent to kill him in the first place?

Skywalker turned at the Emperor's demand, but did not fully comply. Instead, he looked down at Mara from the top of the stairs.

"Does she look familiar to you?" Palpatine asked him.

"Yes." His face betrayed no emotion.

Mara met Skywalker's gaze before turning to the Emperor.

"This is my Hand, young Skywalker," he said. "I have trained her in the ways of the Force since her infancy. She is an extension of my will and does my bidding without hesitation."

Skywalker didn't move a muscle. Palpatine turned back to Mara.

"So tell me, Mara Jade...since I have given you only the best training and allowed you to live a life of privilege and purpose...why did you fail me?"

Mara felt her heart jump into her throat. Skywalker looked at her and she felt a wave of something through the Force. Amusement? What was that all about?

Mara opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. Suddenly, she could no longer meet her master's gaze. She lowered her head.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I -"

"Do not presume to lie to me, Mara," the Emperor said, a chill in his words. "You know perfectly well why you did not do as I ordered you to."

"I - I…"

Tears clouded Mara's vision as she looked up at the Emperor. Skywalker was now watching the exchange with interest.

"Mara."

Palpatine rose, and Mara straightened.

"I couldn't bring myself to kill him."

The Emperor descended the steps and stood a few inches from Mara. Her heart began to race.

"Yes, I know. You disappoint me, Mara."

Mara cried out and fell to her knees at her master's feet, shaking uncontrollably as she shed the tears. Emperor Palpatine looked up at Luke, who was still watching the scene unfold with shielded emotions.

"You see, my young apprentice? Fear has great influence."

"I am not your apprentice. I never will be," Luke said through gritted teeth.

From the right side of Palpatine's throne, Darth Vader stirred.

"My master, if I may interrupt, the Rebel fleet is about to arrive."

Luke whirled to the viewport and Palpatine turned; even Mara looked up and watched through misty eyes as space moved with pseudomotion and then filled with Rebel ships emerging from hyperspace.

Luke's heart sank. "No," he managed to whisper. "No."

Palpatine clapped his hands together in glee.

"What perfect timing!" he exclaimed. "Lord Vader, this couldn't have worked out any better."

Sitting back down, he activated a comlink built in to the chair.

"Commander," he said, "prepare the superlaser."

Luke reeled toward the Emperor in shock. "What?"

Even Mara jumped up in surprise.

The Emperor turned to Luke almost too casually.

"You must know that it is futile. The Rebels cannot win," he said.

"But Han...and Leia…" Luke turned back to the viewport.

"Would you like to save your friends?"

Luke glanced at Palpatine, and Mara could see the obvious desperation in his eyes.

"Yes."

The Emperor smiled wickedly.

"Then you must do one thing," he said. Luke stepped closer.

"Yes?"

Resting his gaze on Mara, he said, "She must be punished for her failure."

Mara's eyes widened, and Luke met her terrified gaze.

"Kill her."


	4. Chapter 4: Desolation

Chapter 4: Desolation

Mara paled at Palpatine's words, her head spinning. She felt very, very sick. She wanted to run, to scream, to cry - to get away from this monster.

"Master?" was all she managed, in a weak voice.

"Do not refer to me by that title," the Emperor snapped. "I am no master to a traitorous, insolent low-life such as you."

Mara gaped at his words, then let out a shriek of rage and darted up the steps. Suddenly, she was roughly grabbed from behind, and Darth Vader painfully twisted her arms behind her back. She wrestled against his iron hold, to no avail.

"Skywalker, my patience grows thin. This is the only chance you have to spare the lives of your Rebel friends."

Luke looked from the Emperor to Vader, then rested his gaze on Mara. She wilted under such scrutinization and hung her head.

"I though she was your Hand," Luke said to the Emperor, indifference in his tone.

Palpatine waved a hand, dismissing his words.

"She has outlived her usefulness. Had she stayed loyal, she would not be in this...situation. She is not indispensable. I have many other Hands that will easily fill the gap."

Mara's emerald eyes flashed as her head snapped up.

"Liar!" she yelled. "You dirty, rotten, no-good, kriffing Sith! My whole life has been a lie. You abducted me and put me through 20 years of pain and misery. You brainwashed me and distorted my view of what's good and right. I trusted you with my life, remained loyal to you, and you _lied_ to me!"

Mara couldn't hold back the burning tears.

"Ah, but Mara, this is what you fail to understand. Every being in this galaxy is only a pawn, a servant to me," the Emperor explained, slowly descending the stairs. "You are a fool to think that your life could have been any different. You have been useful to me, but all you are now," he cupped her chin in his hand, "is a worn-out rag."

Mara spat at him, and Palpatine struck the side of her face with his palm. He whirled around to Luke.

"Now, Skywalker. Do it immediately, however you choose. Give in to the hate you feel to me, to your father for destroying your family, to _her_ when she distracted you."

Luke brought a hand to his forehead, trying to clear the buzzing and pressure in his mind. It was no use; he could not win. He looked at the Emperor to see a wide grin on his face.

"Lord Vader, release her," the Emperor commanded. He dropped his arms.

Mara called on all her training and Force abilities to turn and run towards the lift doors on the other side of the throne room. She was halfway there when a flood of Force energy threw her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her. She heard Skywalker walking towards her. Marginally turning her head to face him, she tried to sit up.

"Why?" she asked him. "I spared your life on Tatooine…"

She leaned against the wall, staring up at his dark form.

"This is the only chance I have to save the ones I care about," he replied. "This is war, and sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."

Despite the ringing in her ears and dizziness form when her head struck the wall, Mara lunged at the Jedi, knocking him off his feet. He fell flat on his back and as Mara reached for a vibroblade on her belt, he rolled and twisted her arm behind her back. Biting back a cry of pain, she shoved her left elbow into his solar plexus. He stepped back, gasping for breath before flipping over her head. Luke kicked sharply as he landed, catching her in the small of her back. Mara reflexively leaned back, and Luke caught her with his left arm around her neck. Mara simply dropped into a crouch and threw him over her back.

Whirling around, Luke gripped Mara's throat with the Force and began to squeeze.

"Yes, yes Luke! Let your anger fuel you," Palpatine exclaimed. "Lose yourself in the dark side of the Force! It is the only way to save your friends."

Luke looked at Mara with fierce determination as he called on the Force surrounding him - using all his swirling emotions as a guide, himself as a nucleus. Only when he felt like he would burst from the energy did he let it explode outwards with a horrendous wail.

Darkness flooded the entire throne room, severely damaging anything caught in Luke's invisible inferno. The lights flickered out, causing the dim emergency glowpanels to illuminate. Walls groaned as they shuddered outwards, away from the source of the power, and the massive viewport behind the Emperor's throne shattered. Stray broken objects whirled around the room as air was sucked out before the blast shield came down. Then, everything was quiet.

The Emperor steadied himself as he stood up from behind his throne, and from another corner of the room, Vader attempted to stand on shaking legs. Luke breathed heavily.

"Well, my apprentice, has it been done?"

Luke walked over to the figure lying against the wall ahead of him. Dust covered her red-gold hair and smooth skin. The only flaw on the otherwise perfect form was a trickle of blood from her mouth, running down her chin.

Luke knelt down and placed a hand on her throat, feeling for a pulse. Her eyelids fluttered open. Finally, she focused on Luke in the dim light.

"You," she said weakly. Luke felt her Force presence fading quickly.

"Your sacrifice has saved many lives - including the lives of my friends," Luke replied, surprised at the gentleness in his voice.

"And that's all that matters to you, shavit," Mara bit out, before struggling to take a shaky breath. Luke suddenly felt fear gnawing at his stomach. What had he just done?

"I'm sorry," he said suddenly. He stroked her cheek with a finger.

"Murderer."

"Mara -"

"Stop talking. Just shut up," Mara said, closing her eyes. "I don't want to hear you anymore. I hate you. I hate Palpatine. And I hate my blasted life."

"If you'll let me, I can try -"

Mara's eyes snapped open and she stared at him.

"No. You've gone...over the edge."

She coughed, sending blood everywhere. She gasped for breath.

"You're no Jedi. Not anymore. You're a monster. You're just like...Palpatine."

Mara struggled for one more breath, then fell limp as her life and the Force left her. Luke stared, oblivious to the tears running down his cheeks. Suddenly, his head jerked up. He turned to look at the Emperor and Vader. He didn't know why, but his heart now felt like it was torn in two.

"Well done, my apprentice," the Emperor said gleefully as Luke walked over to the throne. "You will prove to serve me well."

"_Never!"_ Luke shouted fiercely. His lightsaber, which was still on the throne, flew to his hand, and he dashed up the steps towards the Emperor. Vader's arms came to grab his wrists, but Luke whirled, slicing straight through the Sith Lord.

_Not my father,_ passed through Luke's mind. _A monster._

_Like me…_

The Emperor jumped up and instantly, blue bolts of electricity crackled from his fingers. Luke caught them on the blade of his saber and deflected them back at the old man, who fell to the ground. Luke pressed forward, and Palatine was forced to back against the heavy blast door.

"You'll regret this!" he cried, a hint of fear in his voice. "If you let me live, I will train you, and this Empire will be yours! You will have more power than you could ever imagine!"

Luke snarled.

"This Empire already _is_ mine. I _am_ more powerful than you. You've caused me enough suffering, and it is my time for vengance. Your reign has come to an end, Palpatine!"

Luke raised his lightsaber, and with a flash of green plasma, the Sith was no more.

Luke backed away from the body and slowly turned to look at the decimated throne room. It was now his.

A voice interrupted his thoughts, and he realized it was coming from the comlink in the throne. Luke walked over.

"Repeat."

"Your highness, the superlaser is ready to fire on your command."

"You may fire when ready."

"Um, sir?" the confusion was obvious, and Luke rolled his eyes.

"You heard me. Fire immediately."

"Yes, sir."

There was a moment of silence, then Luke felt and heard the deadly energy beam. It was only a split-second before he felt the wash of thousands of lives leaving the Force. He fell to his knees, attempting to catch his breath, but Luke relished in the raw power of it.

Slowly, he stood back up and sat on the throne. Unclipping his lightsaber, he ignited it and held it up, studying its glowing blade. As he stared, he saw the image of the woman, who's body lay not 30 feet from him.

_You've gone over the edge. You're a monster. You're just like Palpatine._

He'd really done it. He was the last hope for the Jedi, and he had given himself to the dark side.

Luke closed his eyes and thrust the lightsaber into his chest. As he slumped back on the throne, the lightsaber clattered to the ground, retreated into itself, and the room was plunged into dark silence.

Fin

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for reading! Whether you loved it or hated it, I'd appreciate a review. It's the only way I'll improve!


End file.
